Beginner BP revolver advice

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  • j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    As has been said, the Colt and Remington designs are much different. And both designs are pretty simple to deal with. Once one has a good understanding of how to load, shoot and clean BP revolvers the fun really begins.

    At the end of the day, having more than one BP revolver to make white smoke with is the answer.

    :secret: 1847 Walkers will make your day...

    :innocent0
     

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    echo6mike

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 1, 2013
    1,794
    Close to DC
    I've got $2K worth of BP revolvers (3), balls, wads, loading stand, powder, flask, caps, holsters, spare parts kits, extra cylinders, etc. etc. Everything that you need for years to come. All revolvers are Pietta.
    -1858 Target, steel
    -1858 Buffalo, SS, 12" barrel
    -1851 steel
    PM if interested. I want to sell it as a lot.

    Sounds like a nice collection, but I'm not ready to jump in quite that deep at first. I may get there, but one step at a time!
     

    Wardove

    Member
    Jul 23, 2017
    46
    Blairsville, GA
    Get a stainless Ruger old army, adjustable sights and you will have the best. I have done one shot kills on small deer with conicals and the gun will outshoot my Ruger 357 out to 100 yards, and the 357 does pretty well. Online auctions is about only place you will find them and lately they are north of $400 most of the time even $650-750. I did find one like new few months back for $325 plus buyer’s premium and shipping but was tickled pink. Also you can get the 45 colt conversion cylinders for around $250.
     

    IronEye

    Active Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 10, 2018
    790
    Howard County
    Check that cylinder for fine print. Made by Elf Union 58 would add weight to her argument.

    Now i need to find some 45LC cowboy loads. That might take a long time to find some of those in stock at a reasonable price. I could start reloading but empty brass is scarce too.
     

    Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,064
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    You can find brass, primers might be difficult. I was looking at a lee 4 turret press now and 45 colt and 9mm dies now. One hobby makes a second hobby.

    I'll have to justify it to my wife "Baby, what if your 9mm runs out of ammo?" :D
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,734
    Socialist State of Maryland
    If you think that you will EVER shoot a lot of pistol rounds, save your pennies and purchase a Dillon basic reloading press. It can be added to, will last forever and has a lifetime warranty. Even if you have to load on a single stage for another year, it is worth waiting for.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    So when I had gotten my Pietta 58 new army years ago from a Cabellas sale and read that the cylinders were a smaller diameter than the grooves of the bore, I questioned if I could get better accuracy out of it some how. Would conical Bullets do that and would they expand to fill the grooves?

    I currently shoot it with a 45colt conversion cylinder and cowboy loads I make with lead Bullets and trailboss powder


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,064
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    So when I had gotten my Pietta 58 new army years ago from a Cabellas sale and read that the cylinders were a smaller diameter than the grooves of the bore, I questioned if I could get better accuracy out of it some how. Would conical Bullets do that and would they expand to fill the grooves?

    I currently shoot it with a 45colt conversion cylinder and cowboy loads I make with lead Bullets and trailboss powder


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    A lot of guys are buying the Eras gone mold for conicals. I thought about buying it and loading them in the table loader instead of the frame loader and having to modify the gun.

    What is your recipe and bullet for the colt loads.
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,734
    Socialist State of Maryland
    The cylinders do swage the balls down. I believe mine is .450 but the soft lead probably bumps up and fills the barrel. As for conical projectiles, I have experimented and found that, it my pistols, they did not make enough accuracy difference to justify the aggravation of aligning them in the cylinders mouth. (arthritic fingers)

    I will give you the mold next time we meet.

    How is your 1858 shooting? Are you using .451 or .454 balls? My Cabelas 1858 will shoot one ragged hole with this load from the bench. I use .454 ball, 22 grains of PyroP, corn meal on top of the BP and grease over the ball. Corn meal compresses so it doesn't have to be exact. This results in very good accuracy and I can do it all day as I do when I do intro to BP at the club. I used to use greased wads for hunting but, at the range, I just use a can of Crisco and a popcicle stick to slather on the stuff. It keeps the cylinder turning and that is all I care about.

    The only problem I have had with BP revolvers, is their spitting lead when using a conversion. I cured this by cutting an 11 deg lead in the barrel. (most of these have little or no lead in them at all which appears to work well with round balls probably because they are swaged down in the chamber.) BTW, this does not affect the accuracy of the round ball at all.

    If you make time when we meet, I can cut your barrel in the Bass Pro parking lot.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    John I'll take you up on the offer.
    I keep the 58 for 45 Colt as I can't find the original BP cylinder since the move 3 years ago
    I have a Navy 51 I last used last year. I don't even recall what load I used of 3F (Its written down in my box) but I did put Cream of wheat over it.
    I used .454 and it shaves down when loading.

    My load for 45 Colt is 3.5gr of Trailboss and 200 LFP .452 lee mold I had been using 5.5gr and don't know why I had used so much and switched to 3.5 which is below the max 3.9 on the Hodgdon website.

    I never really spent much time on accuracy with any of them, I know I was a bit disappointed in my 58 when I was shooting bp through it.

    Nearly all my pistol shooting now adays is at a big Torso steel target at 25 yards anyway so if I'm hitting it, I'm happy.

    I'd like to take the Navy back out and see how accurate it is then switch to shooting steel with it.

    I just got a used ultrasonic cleaner last month so would try that out cleaning it next time. Need to take some small tupperware containers and cut holes in them so I have something that won't scratch

    Just to save on time and mess, I have little plastic vials I pre measure the powder at home. I do the same with rifles too (usually)
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,734
    Socialist State of Maryland
    John I'll take you up on the offer.
    I keep the 58 for 45 Colt as I can't find the original BP cylinder since the move 3 years ago
    I have a Navy 51 I last used last year. I don't even recall what load I used of 3F (Its written down in my box) but I did put Cream of wheat over it.
    I used .454 and it shaves down when loading.

    My load for 45 Colt is 3.5gr of Trailboss and 200 LFP .452 lee mold I had been using 5.5gr and don't know why I had used so much and switched to 3.5 which is below the max 3.9 on the Hodgdon website.

    I never really spent much time on accuracy with any of them, I know I was a bit disappointed in my 58 when I was shooting bp through it.

    Nearly all my pistol shooting now adays is at a big Torso steel target at 25 yards anyway so if I'm hitting it, I'm happy.

    I'd like to take the Navy back out and see how accurate it is then switch to shooting steel with it.

    I just got a used ultrasonic cleaner last month so would try that out cleaning it next time. Need to take some small tupperware containers and cut holes in them so I have something that won't scratch

    Just to save on time and mess, I have little plastic vials I pre measure the powder at home. I do the same with rifles too (usually)



    I used to to that too but it was more work. (In my younger days I did not have time to waste)
    In stead, I bought a set of spouts for my measure and filed them to the volume I wanted and etched it on the side for both BP and Pyro P. For rifles I always use my TC brass measure.

    My cartridge conversion loads both use Lee 200 gr RNFP bullets. One load is 6 grains of Bullseye and the other is 6.3 of Red Dot. I forget the FPS but I aim for 850-900 FPS so it's probably in there. I use no fillers in cartridges, I just tip the barrel up before cocking to knock the powder back to the primer.

    Some people say the primer blast just blows the powder forward. That may be but I have found that tiping the barrel up gives better consistency than by not doing it.
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    Just looked in my BP pistol box and my notes are gone so I guess I"m starting from scratch again.
    Found .451 and .457 balls so I guess when using .457 I really shave my balls :)
    bag of cream of wheat, but also the lube and wads

    I do remember using the .451 last time at least at the beginning, wheat and lube on top. But I recall using crisco for lube.
    Guess I'll try 20 grains and go from there.
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,734
    Socialist State of Maryland
    I find that corn meal is better than cream of wheat as it compresses more. If you put say, 25 grains of powder and fill the rest with cream of wheat, you may not be able to seat the ball as cream of wheat does not compress as much as corn meal. With corn meal, you don't have to measure, just squeeze it in. (I use an old mustard container)
     

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